stairs.
âWhere are you going?â her dad called after her.
Iris shouted back, âI have to tell Rosie and Starr that Iâm in another wedding. And that Flower Girl World is about to get a new member!â
Chapter Two
âCome in the water, Dad! Itâs not cold at all!â
It was six months later, and Iris was up to her ankles in the Pacific Ocean, waiting for her father to finish putting on his sunscreen. As she waded through the water, the wet sand felt soft and squishy between her toes. Iris smiled.
This place is nothing like Philadelphia,
she thought.
Iris and her family had arrived in Maui early that morning. The plane ride was so long that Iris was able to read a book, watch two movies, play three games of Crazy Eights with her dad, and knit a scarf beforethey landed. Even though she was sleepy, Iris was ready to start her vacation right away. As soon as her suitcase was delivered to their hotel room, Iris put on her swimsuit and dragged her father to the beach.
âDad! Hurry up!â Iris shouted. She looked over at her father and noticed he was talking to a young couple. Irisâs heart jumped.
âJay! Malia!â Iris ran toward her cousin and his bride-to-be.
âHello, my pretty flower girl!â Jay said, picking her up and twirling her around.
âSo when can we start making decorations for your wedding?â Iris blurted out.
Malia laughed, but Jay pretended to groan. âOh, Iris,â said the groom. âDo we have to talk wedding stuff already?â
âBelieve me, itâs all she wants to talk about!â teased her father.
âDad!â Iris blushed. âTalking wedding stuff is fun!â
âI agree!â said Malia. âIâm so happy youâre here. I canât wait for you to meet my sisters.â
âMe too! Where are they?â asked Iris.
âOut there.â Malia pointed to the ocean.
Iris spotted two young girls on surfboards riding a cresting wave. The taller girl glidedcalmly through the water. But the smaller one shot through the waves, weaving in and out at a lightning pace.
âWhoa!â Iris said. âTheyâre really good.â
Malia caught her sistersâ attention and motioned for them to come in. When they made their way back to the beach, Malia introduced Iris to them.
âAloha!â said the younger girl, Hana. Her white smile glistened against her tan skin.
âWelcome to Maui,â added Leilani.
âThanks! Itâs nice to meet you,â Iris replied.
âMalia told me youâve been a flower girl before,â Hana said. âThis is my first time. Iâm so excited.â
âIâm excited too!â said Iris. âI want to give you something.â
Iris bent down to rummage through her beach bag. She pulled out a sparkly, pearl-beaded bracelet. âThis is for you. I made it.â
Iris placed the bracelet on Hanaâs wrist. Hanging from it were two charms: one was shaped like a flower, and the other was oval and had the letters FGW painted on it.
âI love it! Thank you!â said Hana. âWhat does FGW mean?â
âFlower Girl World. Itâs a club all about flower girls. Now that youâre in a wedding, youâre an official member.â
Iris told Hana about Rosie and Starr and how much fun they had had being flower girls together.
âFlower Girl World connects every girl who loves being a flower girl! Even girls who have never been in a wedding!â
âThatâs so cool!â said Hana.
âIâm sorry to interrupt,â said Malia.âHana, we have to clean up before the luau.â
âLuau?â asked Iris.
âWeâre all coming back here to your hotel for a big party tonight,â said Jay. âThere will be Hawaiian food and a hula dancing show.â
âYouâll meet my parents, and thatâs when our families will talk about the plans for setting up the
Aiden James, Patrick Burdine
David Stuckler Sanjay Basu